With the important contribution of Qualcomm, a company specialized in semiconductors for networks and communications, which also manufactures a wireless charging system for electrified cars, Renault and Google claim to present the “vehicle of the future”.

Through advanced software, the car will be based on Google’s Android Automotive operating system and will send data to the company’s cloud servers for processing.

One of the objectives of the proposal is to better understand customers’ needs, as well as to obtain more efficient and personalized services according to their requirements.

Read also:Porsche Dazzles the World: Launch of the 99X Electric Gen3 Formula E Car

Unprecedented Innovation

With the “Digital double” tool, Google and Renault will make available a virtual double of the vehicle, which will feature the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities for easier integration of services in the actual vehicle and the creation of new on-board (Car service) and external services.

Both companies already assure that this new smart car will bring together the best of the automotive and digital worlds, building on the current Android Automotive operating system and Google Cloud technology to enable new on-demand services and continuous updates.

Personalized experiences include tracking driving behaviors and frequently visited destinations, as well as electric vehicle charging stations.

In addition, the collaboration will enable Renault to reduce costs, increase efficiency, flexibility and speed of development of the new cars, while also increasing value for users.

In respect of the new project, Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google stressed that cooperation with the Renault Group has improved safety and communication on the road.

He assured that this alliance will help accelerate the French manufacturer’s digital transformation by bringing together Google’s expertise in the cloud, AI and Android to deliver a safe and highly personalized experience that meets customer expectations.

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One of the key pillars of the program states that, by 2025, 65% of the firm’s new production vehicles marketed in Europe will be electric and hybrid, while by 2030, 90% of them will be 100% electric.

As part of this strategy, Renault inaugurated the new production line for its second electric engine at the French plant in Cléon, which is expected to lead the manufacture of this type of machine in Europe.

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Work on this project has been underway since March with the assembly of the new ePT-160kw. This is the engine chosen for the Mégane E-Tech, which is being developed at the Douai factory, further north in France near the Belgian border.

Among its innovative features, the new engine for the electric Mégane offers more power than the previous one (160 kilowatts instead of 96), but advances in its design have made it 25% more compact.

Startups, Projects and Investment

Since 2015, the Cléon complex which employs 3,228 employees and has been in business since 1958 has also been producing Renault’s first electric motor, which equips the Zoé or the electric versions of the Twingo, Kangoo and Master.

From 2024, the ePT-100kw for the future electric Renault 5 is also scheduled to start at the factory, and in 2027 will arrive another 200-kilowatt new generation developed in partnership with Valeo Siemens eAutomotive and which can be sold for cars from other manufacturers.

To carry out Cléon’s transformation, €620 million have been invested since 2018 that are going to allow it to increase its capacities to more than one million engines per year from 2024, between 500,000 electric and 510,000 hybrids.

Despite the ambitious electrification plans, government regulations and the hard blow that the war in Ukraine has meant for the fossil fuel industry, Renault believes that the transition to electromobility will continue to be carried out gradually, and will remain committed to strong investments and a clear roadmap towards these new technologies.

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The three companies with a long history on the automotive industry plan to allocate 23 billion dollars for the development of electric vehicles within five years.

The “Alliance to 2030” partnership plans to launch more than 30 electrified prototypes based on five sophisticated platforms to which technicians from the three companies will have access. One of the key objectives is to standardize and share the batteries and technology used by Nissan.

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One of the goals also set by the alliance is that by 2026, more than 10 million vehicles will be on the road with models equipped with autonomous driving systems. By then, more than 5 million Alliance Cloud systems will be delivered per year, with a total of 25 million cars on the road. In fact, the alliance will be the first global mass-market manufacturer to introduce the Google ecosystem in its cars.

Advanced Structure

The investment to be made by the members of Alliance to 2030 will not be wasted, as they will form five platforms of excellent technology to manufacture high-level cars.

In that sense, 90% of the models will be based on five common electric vehicle systems, covering most markets in the major regions. 

The CMF-AEV platform, which is the basis for the new Dacia Spring; the KEI-EV platform, for ultra-compact electric vehicles or the LCV-EV Family platform, intended for professional vehicles and will be the basis for the Renault Kangoo and the Nissan Townstar.

Additionally, there is the CMF-EV platform, which will arrive in a few weeks in vehicles such as the electric Nissan Ariya and Renault Mégane E-Tech Electric. This platform is expected to be a reference for the new generation of electric vehicles from the association’s partners. 

Moreover, in 2024 Renault, Nissan and Mitsubishi will launch the electric CMF-BEV platform, which offers up to 400 kilometers of range. They estimate that the aerodynamic performance will help reduce costs by 33% and energy consumption by more than 10% compared to the current Renault ZOE. 

This structure will be responsible for producing 250,000 units per year for the Renault, Alpine and Nissan brands.

Written by I Jhonattan González

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Luca de Meo, CEO of the company, revealed that preparations are already underway to achieve the goal over the next decade. According to the executive, the decision corresponds to the company’s commitment to participate in the decarbonization process and adhere to the new regulations approved by the European Union to reduce carbon emissions.  

He informed that the company will also focus on the “Renaulution” transformation plan for vehicle reconditioning, which will be the center of activity at the Flins factory, west of Paris, where 2,000 modified cars have already been produced in 2021, and for which the goal is 45,000 units per year.

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Renaulution will aim to prioritize value over volume, and the application of electric technology. The plan was divided into three phases and sets deadlines until 2025. 

Europe will be the center of development of this new policy, and the old continent’s market will be the first to receive and apply all the innovations being prepared with the vision of becoming a leader in electrification.

Other changes are also being implemented throughout the group’s management, such as the progressive feminization of the workforce. Currently, 24 % of the group’s employees are women, and the goal is to increase this proportion by 1 % each year to reach parity by 2050.

Two New Cars to Lead the Way

Renault’s plan does not stop at theory and it is already working on launching two new EVs. The first one is the Renault Austral, currently undergoing tests on European roads to complete pre-production tuning. 

Based on the new CMF-CD3 platform, the car will incorporate all the brand’s quality and technology improvements. And, in addition, numerous powertrains, all hybrid or plug-in hybrid.

The brand points out that the Austral will have record efficiency, very low emissions and a maximum power output of 200 hp. The power also indicates an evolution of PHEV technology, compared to the Captur or Mégane, as it provides more power.

Moreover, Renault revealed that a new Captur Coupé will arrive on the market by 2023. This new SUV will also bet on a new coupe body and it will be a sportier variant that will take advantage of the base of the new Captur.

Mechanically, it could incorporate some of the new features announced at the Austral, such as a new 1.2 TCe motor with 48V technology, as well as new hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions, with the 1.8 E-Tech drive.

Written by I Jhonattan González

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Therefore, several car manufacturers are betting on a wide range of hydrogen fuel cell to contribute to this necessary restructuration. Toyota is a pioneer in this sector, Hyundai is also involved and even Renault through its HYVIA program.

HYVIA represents the hydrogen green ecosystem developed by Renault to power vehicles with this environmentally friendly fuel, as well as its storage and distribution. “HY” stands for hydrogen, “VIA” for road, which represents a complete “hydrogen road” that comes to the market by the French brand in collaboration with Plug Power.

Related content: Renault to launch new hydrogen Master ZE this year

HYVIA: Renault’s new sustainable plan

HYVIA offers a solution in terms of mobility and sustainable transport by making available to its customers three types of commercial vehicles, with hydrogen refueling stations to positively impact the Earth, without leaving aside the need of commercial and industrial customers to transport goods of any kind.

The three vehicles mentioned above offer a variety of options dedicated to different sectors. The first one is a van-type car with 12 square meters of storage space, the second is 19 square meters, while the last one is a small bus with a transport capacity of 15 people.

This minibus has a 300 kilometer autonomy and will be named Master Citybus H2-TECH, designed to meet transportation needs. On the other hand, the vans will be able to travel up to 250 and 500 kilometers of autonomy, respectively. In addition, Plug Power will produce, store and distribute green hydrogen as a complete package of this type of sustainable fuel.

Written by | Ronald Ortega

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Imagine AESC will develop a gigafactory in Douai with a capacity of 9 GWh in 2024 and with the goal of reaching 24 GWh by 2030. It will also invest up to 2 billion euros to produce the latest technological, cost-competitive, low-carbon and safe batteries. for electric models, including the future R5.

For that reason, this Envision AESC partnership foresees 2,500 new jobs by 2030.

The Douai gigafactory paves the way for the production of low-carbon batteries as part of the objectives outlined in the European Green Deal and for the development of closed-loop recycling solutions for production waste and end-of-life batteries.

“Envision Group’s mission is to be the net zero technology partner of choice for global enterprises, governments, and cities. We are therefore delighted that Renault Group chose Envision AESC batteries for its next generation of EVs,” said Lei Zhang, Founder and CEO of Envision Group.

Likewise, he informed that this first phase of development will unlock future large-scale investments to grow the local supply chain and develop all the opportunities of the battery life cycle, including energy storage, battery reuse, smart charging and closed-loop recycling.

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Renault Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding to become a Verkor shareholder with a stake of more than 20% in the company and plans to join the consortium that was created around the French start-up in 2020. The consortium aims to address the challenges related to digitization, decarbonization and the strengthening of French and European industries within the sector.

Renault Group and Verkor intend to jointly develop a high-performance battery suitable for the C and higher segments of the Renault range, as well as for the Alpine models.

The cooperation between Renault Group and Verkor will be based on a common roadmap to reduce carbon emissions from battery manufacturing by 75% compared to the traditional process, and to establish a supply chain that enables traceability and ensures the availability of raw materials used in electric vehicle models.

“This is a major deal which demonstrates our progress along our roadmap to generate up to 50 GWh of battery cell production capacity by 2030—a cornerstone in developing a competitive, sovereign and sustainable battery supply chain in Europe,” explained Benoit Lemaignan, CEO of Verkor

These two most recent partnerships go hand in hand with existing programs within the Renault Group, in particular the agreement with LG Chem, which currently supplies battery modules for Renault’s electric range and for the upcoming MéganE.

Written by | Gabriel Sayago

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While the Master ZE is ideal for urban use, a range under 100 miles means it is not really suited to longer journeys, especially ones on higher-speed routes.

This is where the Master ZE Hydrogen comes to play. The hydrogen-powered van will use the same electric drive system as the standard ZE, but the addition of hydrogen tanks means a far longer range is achievable.

Mark Sutcliffe, senior vice president of the Renault LCV Business Unit, confirmed that the hydrogen van is currently in development, and will be initially unveiled “later in 2021” before going on sale in Europe in 2022.

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He hinted that Renault is aiming for a range of “somewhere between 500km and 600km” for the new model. That means the Master Hydrogen should be able to cover at least 310 miles before it needs refuelling, more than trebling the distance the Master ZE is capable of travelling before its batteries need recharging.

No further information has been revealed, aside from the fact that the model we’ll see later this year won’t be the final production version. Renault has been trialling hydrogen vans in France since 2019, with converted Master ZE and Kangoo ZE small vans racking up the miles.

Prices are yet to be confirmed, but the Master ZE Hydrogen is unlikely to be cheap: the smaller Kangoo Hydrogen was priced in excess of 40,000 euros over double the starting price of the diesel Kangoo, and 15,000 euros more than the pure-electric ZE version. Lease deals and incentives should help bring the price of the Master Hydrogen down, though.

Written by | Gabriel Sayago

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